CHAPTER SEVEN
"You came." I stare at the man standing in front of me, although I am aware he will be here, I didn't expect he would be the first person I would see.
He's friend with Elric, after all.
"I am just here for the sightseeing so you don't have to worry about me causing a scene. Treat me as I don't exist like you always do..." I can't help but be sarcastic with him because of how hypocrite he is towards Seraphina.
I was about to pass him when he suddenly grabbed my arm, in a second I pulled my arms away from him like a reflux.
I am disgusted with him.
I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt but as I try to give him that the more I believe how foolish and stupid Seraphina was for believing a guy like him.
I ignored him and continued walking toward the yacht.
The boat was tied to a wooden dock, gently moving with the water. A narrow plank was placed between the dock and the yacht. I slowed my steps for a moment, watching how the others crossed it.
One by one, they stepped onto the plank, holding the rope at the side for balance.
When it was my turn, I lifted my skirt slightly so it wouldn't drag. I placed one foot on the plank, steadying myself before taking another step. The wood creaked under my weight, but I kept walking until I reached the deck.
A hand appeared in front of me.
I placed my hand on the railing instead and pulled myself up.
Once both my feet were on the deck, I straightened my back and let out a quiet breath. The smell of water and wood filled the air, and the yacht rocked softly beneath me.
I moved aside, giving space to the others, and kept my eyes forward—away from him.
Craige was there.
He stood near the mast, one hand resting on a rope, looking just as surprised to see me. Then he smiled, the familiar kind that eased something tight in my chest.
"You're here," he said.
I nodded, feeling a little lighter than before.
Seeing a familiar face made the yacht feel less strange, less heavy. I moved closer to him, choosing his side of the deck, and for the first time since arriving, I felt like I wasn't completely alone.
He said he was also invited to this so I reconsidered my decision of not coming here.
I was about to walk towards him when I heard three voices...it felt familiar so I look at them. They are laughing while they are humoring the Princess.
When they saw me, especially Grem, feels like he had seen a ghost. So that's their plan, lure me into believing that they wanted to hang out with me.
His other two friends also felt the cold feet that Grem felt when they saw me.
How low she can be? I look at the Princess, who's also shocked seeing me. She didn't expect my presence here.
Now, I want to go back and just have my own leisure time in the town. Why did I even come here?
But then, if I didn't come here...I would've make them believe I fell into their scheme of luring me.
I turn my back at them and walk towards Craige...and I also wonder, if he's also being true to me...to Seraphina.
"Lady Seraphina, I am glad to see you here," Elena said. "Calyx mentioned that you accepted the invitation, but I never thought you would really come. It's been a while since you indulged in events like this."
I gave a small nod, trying to keep my expression neutral.
"Thank you," I said softly, meeting her eyes. My gaze drifted toward the group of people laughing and having fun as the sun sets on the dock, standing a few steps away from us.
I notice Elena's smile.
"I heard about your amnesia," she said quietly. "I guess you really have forgotten everything… seeing how carefully you watch people."
Her words made me pause. There was no malice, but something about the way she said it felt like a statement of being wary about me.
"Seeing how you also accepted his invitation—" again with those unfinished statements I have to deal guessing what they mean with that.
In an instant, she's gone, she was taken away by her friends. I don't know how to enjoy such scenery if everyone wants to watch my actions...every move I do.
They are watching not because they are wary of me but because they want to watch me go hysterical about the Princess and Lord Raiven having their time together.
"As I heard... you're really here." I turn to my side, a man standing tall beside me. A familiar figure, I tried to remember where did I see him?
One of Seraphina's unknown friend?
You surely are famous, Seraphina.
I really want to roll my eyes at this moment but I am afraid that the person I am annoyed with will be a high rank person...that would be embarrassing.
"You're not the first nor the second who told me that." I only answered him, it's the only way for me to be sarcastic but not totally going off the boundary.
He laughs at my remark.
"It seems like people have been pestering you." He replied to me, I glance at him trying to look where did I see him.
I openly stared at him. He didn't mind me at all doing that as if he's also waiting for me to know him.
"Oh, you're that guy who fucks that girl—" I instantly cover my mouth with my two hands as I realized what I just said. He again laughs.
"That took you longer than I expected?" He again, with that move he does...moving forward just to tower me over.
With that I raised my eyebrow at him.
I push him away from me as I stepped away from him, two steps backward. Juts enough to create a distance between us.
"Disgusting." A word that I wasn't able to control myself on saying it.
"Prince Zedd..." A girl far away from us, holding a glass on her right hand. She walks towards us and greet the man in front of me.
She didn't even have the time to even look at me. Not that I want her to notice me but seeing how focus she is to this man...I can only assume of their twisted relationship.
But I heard her call him...what? A Prince?
Oh well, I must be hearing things or if he is really a prince, a royalty, I wonder why the color of his eyes differs...it's not the shade of sapphire but instead a pale green color.
I wonder...
I look around to look for that man...once again, he feels familiar. Maybe because this body knows that man like how this body knows Craige.
I always wonder...
My eyes landed on that man whom I can consider my friend.
I wonder if he has also fuck other girls his age or younger or maybe older than him. Seeing the girl in front of me, I can say she is not a high schooler.
There, I found Craige.
He's also talking to some girls. They were having fun...so I guess, a man will always be a man, no matter what the era or age this world is in.
In one swift turn, I saw Raiven on the other side with his friends, Calyx and Elric, having their time with girls. It's not like they are not allowed to flirt or have a fun life, but I just don't expect it this way.
I thought girls at this time were innocent and they didn't give in to these boys' advances.
When I saw a waiter near me, I didn't hesitate to accept the glass of wine. I raise the glass as the wine dances inside it, like the waves of the ocean.
The moon that shines brighter than the stars, I toast with the sky, and drink the wine.
"That taste...bitter." I can't help but laugh because the taste isn't far from my situation, bitter.
"You'll get yourself drunk—" I turn around to see a young man, tall with broad shoulders, red hair, and black eyes. It was like the movie I watched where the man saw his girl drinking is the time he walked towards her.
"I'm not that weak, you know," I said as I grabbed the bottle of wine from the table. I didn't hesitate to pour a glass of wine into my glass. The waiter had brought a bottle of wine, maybe because I had asked for it.
Again, I drank it in one go.
"Just drink it… slowly. No one's going to steal it from you." I looked at him as I smiled and handed him the empty wine glass, urging him to drink as well. I was still in shock about why we were allowed to have wine at a party for high school students, even though almost all of us were turning eighteen.
"Really?" I laugh at his statements. "From what I know, everyone wants to steal everything from me." I added. He only looks at me with his cold, icy expression; he can't even muster a smile. Even just a fake smile.
"Is your arm okay?"
That was a very odd thing to ask at that moment. I looked at my arm. Was he talking about the incident that happened? He knew about how I cried, didn't he? I looked back at his expression, wanting to see any hint of worry in his eyes, but to my disappointment, his eyes remained the same.
Raiven's POV
She didn't bother to answer my question before turning away but before that, she surely did make it obvious to me when she rolled her eyes.
I watch her as she walks toward the railing and grips it, the yacht resting in the middle of the lake. It has stopped, so we can savor the night before heading back at dawn.
"Raiven..." She turns her head to me. She twisted her body a little bit just to look at me.
"Do you know how much I hated everything about this place?" Again, with her statements, I can't even understand where all of this is coming from.
"Especially you..." She turns her body around and points at me. I've been looking at her for the past hour, and that isn't her second glass of wine. She's been drinking wine the moment she steps here.
"Do you know how much I hate you?"
I didn't answer her. I just looked at her because I probably knew why she was saying this to me. This wasn't the first time—nor the second—that she had made it clear how much she hated having me near her.
"What am I even saying?" She turns her head back to the lake.
She heaves a deep sigh as she leans forward against the rails. I step closer to her, just in case she suddenly loses her balance while holding onto the yacht's metal railing.
"May I trouble you with a question, Lord Raiven?"
"Yes, my lady?" I answered her.
My voice was barely more than a whisper, given the situation we were in. She looks at me, turns her body toward me, and slowly move steps forward… this may sound crazy, but I could hear every step she's taking, despite the music in the background and the noise of everyone around us.
She came closer to me until there was no distance left between us. I wanted to hold her, but I stopped myself. She stood on her tiptoes, as if her height wasn't enough to meet my eyes, and I couldn't help but smile at her.
"Do you care for me?" she asked, her voice sounding tired, like she just wanted to sleep. Even her eyes seemed to speak and beg me to let her rest, and I just smiled at her.
"What do you think?" I answered, instead of giving her a direct response.
I smiled even more when she suddenly pouted, as if sulking at my answer. I lifted my hand to brush the hair that had fallen across her face.
"You wouldn't even believe me, even if I told you the truth." In that moment, I cast a magic barrier around both of us so no one would see us being like this. An invisible barrier just to make our presence unknown to everyone.
No one will notice how I want to cling to her.
She pushed me slightly, as if she wanted to move away, but maybe because of the alcohol in her system, she seemed to have no strength.
I held the hand that had been on my chest earlier. She tried to pull it away quickly, but I caught it just in time.
She then looks into my eyes again. She's always like this, as if she's trying to read me. I can't help but be conscious of how she thinks of me.
She has changed, they say, but to me, she's still the same.